General Questions

“I am from Canada. I was just wondering if your DVD’s contents and teachings for police encounters and rights relate to Canada’s laws as well.” - Yannik “My question is if you know of anything that you have used in your … Continued

There are four general types of checkpoints you might encounter: DUI checkpoints, US border checkpoints, drug checkpoints, and TSA checkpoints. In a legal sense, they are not all created equal. So depending on which one you encounter, you’ll want to be … Continued

This article by Steve Silverman originally appeared April 5, 2012 in Reason.com. It’s been updated to include new information regarding recent rulings in favor of citizens’ right to record police. Last week the City of Boston agreed to pay Simon Glik $170,000 in … Continued

In Illinois v. Caballes, the Supreme Court ruled that police do not need reasonable suspicion to use drug dogs to sniff a vehicle during a legitimate traffic stop. This decision stems from the case of Roy Caballes, who was pulled … Continued

If police say they smell marijuana, you’re in a tough situation. Courts have ruled that the odor of contraband gives officers probable cause to perform a search. For this reason, police are quick to claim that they smell something and sometimes they might even lie about it. … Continued

That depends. The answer is as long as it reasonably takes police to conduct the investigation. For example, if you’ve been stopped for speeding, police can technically only detain you long enough to check your paperwork and write you a speeding ticket. … Continued

There’s lots of confusion about when police can ask you to identify yourself and how much information you need to give them. Here’s what you need to know to protect your constitutional rights. … Continued

Consenting to a search request automatically makes the search legal in the eyes of the law. And the 4th Amendment doesn’t require officers to tell you about your right to refuse. … Continued

If you feel that police have violated your rights, or you’ve witnessed misconduct against someone else, do not panic. It’s normal to feel intimidated, but responding to misconduct is an essential step towards protecting yourself and your community from future police abuse. … Continued